Stress Impacts Male Fertility by Degrading Sperm Quality

Don't stress if you're trying to have kids. Scientists have found that psychological stress is harmful to sperm and semen quality, affecting its concentration, appearance and ability to fertilize an egg.

In order to see the role that stress might play on fertility, the scientists examined 193 men between the ages of 38 to 49. These men completed tests to measure work and life stress on the subjective scale and objective scale. The men also provided semen samples which were then assessed for fertility.

"Men who feel stressed are more likely to have lower concentrations of sperm in their ejaculate, and the sperm they have are more likely to be misshapen or have impaired motility," said Pam Factor-Litvak, one of the researchers, in a news release. "These deficits could be associated with fertility problems."

In fact, the researchers found that measured either subjectively or objectively, life stress degraded semen quality. That's even after accounting for men's concerns about their fertility, their history of reproductive health problems, or other health issues. The scientists also found that workplace stress was not a factor, though it could contribute since men with job strain had diminished levels of testosterone.

"Stress has long been identified as having an influence on health," said Teresa Janevic, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Our research suggests that men's reproductive health may also be affected by their social environment."

The findings reveal that stress can have a large influence on reproductive health. This could be important for future studies looking for ways to help men who have fertility issues.

The findings are published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.